


Stick to you like glue

by Multifandom_damnation



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Bad Cooking, Day At The Beach, Domestic Fluff, Gen, Heavy Drinking, Intimidation, Late Night Conversations, Legends of Tomorrow Team are Family, Male-Female Friendship, Meeting the Parents, Missing Scene, Missions Gone Wrong, Poisoning, Sirens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-23 20:02:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17689970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: Zari is beginning to think of Nate as something like a brother and beware anyone who dares to hurt her family, blood-related or not.





	Stick to you like glue

**Author's Note:**

> This could have been better and included more things but it was hard to do as it was and nobody was asking for it so I really don't know if you can be disappointed. Tell me what you think x

The more Zari thought about it, the more that she decided that Nate was the most like a brother to her than the rest of the Legends. While he was nothing like her own brother, he still filled that position in her chest with his childlike wonder and excitement at new things.  
  
She sat back now and watched Nate in the Captain's quarters, head in one hand and the other turning enthusiastically through a novel about ancient history. He was mostly hidden behind a barricade of thick leather tomes and it startlingly reminded her of what her brother used to do with pieces of wood when they went for secret adventures in the woods.   
  
It's late- she knew that and was also very aware of the reason she was here. "Nate," she called gently, pushing off from the wall and making her way into the room with her arms still crossed against her chest. "What are you still doing up? Do you know how late it is?"  
  
When his head snaps up and looks around in surprise, Zari resisted the urge to laugh at his goofy grin that was too big for his face. His eyes were glazed enough that he definitely felt how late it was but his excitement over his reading material told another story. "No..?" He said slowly, looking around the room with wide eyes as if he'd just gotten caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. "Is it really late? It's really late, isn't it? Has Sara told you to tell me off for being up late again?"  
  
Holding her hands up in surrender, she couldn't keep back the small smile which forced its way past her lips. "I'm here on my own accord. And you're an adult, Nate, Sara doesn't care what time you go to bed, as long as you do your job." She inches closer to the book open on the desk. "What are you reading?"  
  
"Oh, I found a book in one of the pyres," Nate seemed proud of his find and tapped the book gently yet quickly. He flinched at Zari's frown. "It's just one book! It's not like the Nazi's are going to notice a book missing! It won’t leave the ship; nobody else will know that I've even got it. Please... don't tell Sara."  
  
Snorting, Zari sunk into the chair beside Nate and crossed her legs over the arm. "Please, I'm the last person you have to worry about ratting on you to Sara. How's the book?"  
  
Beaming, Nate gently lifted the slightly charred book up so Zari could see, holding it within the crook of his arm. "It's really good. It's about history from the 20 years before this. I didn't know any of this stuff. Which is saying something because you know, I'm amazing." He winked and Zari rolled her eyes. "But how great is it that I managed to grab a book about history? It easily could have been one about dancing or gardening. And hey, it's in a language I actually know. It could've been written in like, Bulgarian or something."  
  
"Lucky you." Zari smiled. Nate yawned and blinked sleep out of his eyes and Zari took it as the perfect moment to strike. She leant forward in her chair and placed a hand lightly on Nate's leg. "But it really is late. I mean, so late it's almost morning." Nate winced. "Yeah. And you woke up really early this morning, so you've been up for a while."  
  
"Yeah, you're probably right." Nate sighed and regretfully marked his page with a red silk strip bookmark decorated in fancy gold filigree he had found lying around the clutter on the desk and closed the book. "You're right." He muttered again but he still didn't move, just slumped his shoulders and dropped his head, eyes closed and arms resting heavily on either side of the book.   
  
Eyes narrowing, Zari reached up and placed her hand on Nate's up instead and shook him roughly, seeming to snap him out of his funk. "Hey, question. Are you awake because you're distracted by this book or is this book a distraction so you don't have to sleep?"  
  
Shaking his head, Nate patted Zari on the shoulder. "It's nothing Zee, just having trouble sleeping lately. I'll have Gideon take a look in the morning. You've got nothing to worry about, but thanks for looking out." He stood and stretched his arms above his head and groaned softly at the sensation of bones popping and muscles relaxing. His hands dropped and slapped against his thighs, fingers tapping against the denim. "Right. Bed time. For both of us, let's go, up you get." He helped Zari up out of her chair and let her to the door by her elbow, Gideon silently turning the lights off in the room behind them. Nate wrapped his arms briefly around Zari's shoulders before he walked away with a smile. "Goodnight! See you tomorrow, Zee."  
  
"If you're not awake early enough tomorrow, I'll cover for you with Sara." Zari called out after him and chuckled at the grateful reply that floated towards her from down the hallway. Smiling, Zari made her way in the opposite direction and back to her quarters.

* * *

All her life, Zari had always prided herself at being a woman of action. Her first instinct is what she goes with every time, for good or for bad. She trusts her gut before her brain had any time to compute a proper response.   
  
But as she sits there now, strapped into the seat with her hands gripping the metal tightly and the ship spiralling out of control, Sara's warning ringing in her ears: _"There's a fire spreading through the ship from the engine room and Gideon can't close the bulkhead doors"_ , Zari realized that she's not the only person of action on the Waverider.  
  
Before she could leap up and run down to the area of the ship where the flames ruined the vessel, Zari turned her head and saw Nate already out of his seat, skin shifting to an impenetrable chrome and running out the door and down the corridor.   
  
Zari struggled but couldn't escape the bonds of the seat, couldn't reach her totem to help Nate but slowly, eventually, the ship started to right itself and Zari leapt out of her seat the moment the annoying red lights stopped flashing and the ship slowed down to a normal pace.  
  
She caught up with Nate as he leant, exhausted, against the hallway wall, eyes closed and skin melting back from shining chromatic steel to normal human skin. He closed his eyes and panted softly, thinking he's alone and yelped when Zari grabbed his arm and dragged him straight to the med bay, telling the rest of the team over the coms where they are.   
  
"What were you thinking?" She hissed at him once he's safe in the medical chair and Gideon has given him the all clear. "You could have been hurt or killed or-"

“I know what could have happened Zari, but it didn’t.” Nate sounded too tired for his own good like the stunt had taken too much out of him. “But we all know that I was the only one who could have done it. What could everyone else have done? I could have let Sara abandon her station and she could have hit the flames. You could have added more air to it and made it bigger. The professor, Jax and Mick could have added more fire. Ray could have politely asked the flames to go away. I’m made of steel, Zee, impenetrable. I knew it wasn’t going to hurt me.”

“What did you even do?” Zari asked, anger carefully masking the worry in her voice. “Did you declare your historical knowledge makes you a ‘time detective’ and recite the story of humans being introduced to fire?”

Nate shrugged, Zari’s words not getting through his barrier. His emotions clad in as much iron as his body. “I slapped it a bunch. It seemed to work, it died down pretty quick.”

Gritting her teeth, Zari took long, deep breaths through her nose to stop herself from raising her voice. “Nate, that’s so reckless. You don’t know what could have happened- you don’t know if your steel form can be melted-“

There was suddenly an edge of defiance in his eyes as Nate sat straighter in his chair and grit his teeth in return, not to hold back his words but to hold back his anger. “Out of everyone on this ship, you don’t get to lecture me about being reckless.” His voice was low and deep, taking Zari aback.

Realising the truth to the statement, Zari visibly deflated and ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah, I know. But Nate, I don’t want you to get hurt and having you running into a fire without any back up just really, really worried me. It was so stupid, but I understand why you did it. I… was about to do the same thing, but you bet me to it.”

“Well, I’m fine, you’re fine, and the ships still intact,” Nate reassured. “Although, it’s a little burnt.”

“I’m sure Gideon can fix it.” Zari laughed on an exhale, placing a hand on Nate’s arm, both their anger completely dissipated. “You should get some rest. It’s been a stressful day.”

“Yeah,” Nate agreed, almost reluctantly, and settles back into his chair. “Can you cover me? I don’t want Sara to think I’m goofing off and sleeping when I should be working.”

 _Like you even have to ask_ , Zari thought but pated Nate’s arm said “Of course. Wouldn’t want you getting the sack for saving out hides, would we?”

* * *

The ship was a warzone of frantic running and people screaming at the top of their lungs in panic, but Zari could hardly hear them- her attention was on Nate, lying prone on the medical chair in the med bay, one of her hands in his hair the way Amaya said he liked, a hand in his own, watching his chest rise and fall.

“Gideon, I need that status report, _now_.” The last word was a strained growl but the phrase had the Legends quieting down to listen to what Gideon had to say.

“I’m afraid that I can’t ascertain the cause of this, Captain Lance,” Gideon said, regret in her robotic voice. Sara swore and threw the hat she was still wearing from their last mission hard onto the ground. “There is no point of entry and the substance does not seem to be artificial in nature.”

Mick growled from his place guarding the door. “Did he take something or did something get him?”

“I am unsure, Mr Rory,” Gideon said as she ran a full scan on Nate. Beneath Zari, Nate moaned in pain and his skin turned a shade paler and the hand in hers was slick from sweat, but she didn’t pull away. “As best I can tell; it seems to be inhaled or an effect of the land.”

“Maybe he’s allergic to something we came in contact with?” Ray suggested desperately, standing on the other side of Nate’s bed, tapping away on the console on his suit. He was one word away from shrinking down and having Stein inject him into his friend’s bloodstream. Nobody bothered telling him how stupid the suggestion was but Zari was still grateful for him trying.

Nate coughed, and red splattered against the back of Ray’s hand, the next breath he took was ragged and too wet to be normal. The med bay erupted into a hurricane of chaos- Mick got angry at being so useless and threw a spray-bottle against a wall, Stein and Ray started arguing about what was wrong with Nate, Jax and Sara tried to retrace their steps on the mission, Gideon sprouted medical knowledge that just became a jumbled mess of information that was lost among the shouting voices.

Zari just held onto Nate for dear life and held him as he shook as if cold, and placed her forehead to his. His skin was cold and clammy, his eyes glazed when they opened slightly to look at her, his lips and chin stained red from the blood. Zari reached up and wiped it away with her sleeve.  “Zee, what’s going on?” Nate’s voice was weak and she had to strain to hear it, but he spoke and that meant he was still alive. “What’s happening?” The pain and fear in his voice were enough to make Zari’s chest ache.

His eyes started to close and Zari’s eyes tightened on his hand. “Nate, I know you’re tired, but I need you to wake up.” His eyes fluttered open. “Do you remember what did this?”

Gulping down another cough, undoubtedly filled with blood, Nate nodded. “Spores, in the forest,” he muttered before his eyes fell shut again and his head tilted back to the side.

Straightening, Zari relayed this information back to Gideon as the team had fallen silent while they listening to Nate speak. They were just as relieved that he was alive as Zari was.

Soon, Gideon had medication flowing through Nate’s body and his skin was back to its normal pallor, his breathing regulated and his only coughing was a silent cry for ice chips and water. Technically, he was allowed to have water whenever, but Zari knew he liked chewing on the ice, so she gave that to him while he was awake.

When it was declared that he would make a full recovery, Zari swore she had never felt so relieved.

* * *

She found him in his room, drunk off of one of Mick’s 6 packs smuggled from the fridge, the remains of the night still scattered across the floor. Zari stepped around the maze of empty brown bottles and made it to Nate’s bedside. He wasn't asleep, instead he was staring at the ceiling with his hands crossed over his chest. There were long-since-dried tear tracks down his cheeks. “Hey bud,” Zari greeted softly. “Wanna talk about it?”

“No,” is not the answer she was expecting from such an open and sensitive person like Nate, but it’s the answer she got and now that she had it, she didn't know what to do with it. She sat on her haunches and tried to figure out what to say, but Nate beats her to it. “I’m busy. Bye.”

“I can see that,” Zari goes along with it and ignored Nate’s rudeness only because he was hurting and she hated seeing her family hurt. “It was a bad day for all of us, today. The mission could have gone better.”

Snorting, Nate reached a hand up to rub at the tears on his face before dropping it back down to his chest. “That’s an understatement.” He muttered eventually, eyes glued to the ceiling.

“You know it wasn’t your fault Nate.” Zari attempted to reassure but even as she spoke it she knew her words would fall on deaf ears. “You can’t be everywhere at once. You’re just one person.”

“Yeah well, if I had been faster I would have saved her.” Nate said and Zari was glad that he felt like talking after all. “It’s my fault that she had gotten separated from the group. If I had been paying more attention, I could have made sure she was with us or sent someone else off with her.”

Sighing, Zari placed a hand on his shoulder. “You can’t blame yourself. You did nothing wrong. You single-handedly protected that group of kids from the gunfire and managed to get them on the ship so we could take them home. Those kids are alive because of you.”

Nate didn't reply but Zari’s knew the death of the little girl in the brown rags and the dirty blonde hair and big blue eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life. “I just want to be alone.”

Nodding, Zari stood and patted Nate on the shoulder. At the door, she called back, “I’m always here if you need to talk.” And left him to wallow in his beer bottles and self-hatred.

* * *

Their trip back to 2018 turned into a mistake almost as soon as the ship landed. Gideon needed to repair her systems and the Legends couldn’t be on-board while she did so. With no money and nowhere else to go, Nate had mentioned the room his parents had at their home and agreed to take them there. Only Zari could see his reluctance as he walked them through the streets with the freshly pruned hedges and the well-kept gardens and the white picket fences. The closer they got to his old home, the more uncomfortable he got.

Mick suggested climbing over the back fence and making their way into the house through the backyard, a plan Nate enthusiastically agreed on, but Sara vetoed it and they started searching for a way in. Nate collected the key from where it hid in the base of a garden gnome and the Legends made their way inside the house. “You know,” Nate muttered as they entered the hall. “The last time I came home unannounced Hank pointed a gun at me.”

It seemed that this time would be no different- almost immediately, the barrel of a gun was placed at the back of Mick’s head and just as quickly, Mick spun around and ripped the gun out of the other man’s hands. “What the hell are you doing here, Nate?” Hank asked, scowling at his son.

Nate sighed and the Legends silently decided that they really disliked Hank Heywood. “This is my home too, Hank, I can come and go as I please.” Nate ran a hand through his hair. “These are my friends. We needed a place to stay and I know we have the room so I’ve invited them to stay with us.”

Angry, Hank snatched the shotgun back from a growling Mick and glared at Nate, who seemed to be having trouble holding his ground. He was practically hidden behind the slightly taller Ray. “You have no right to invite strangers into our home without my permission.” Hank snapped. Nate flinched and Zari moved to his side. “This is my home and I will not allow criminals to come in and take up space.”

“There are so many things wrong with that statement.” Nate muttered before saying louder, “Look, they’re not strangers, they’re my friends. And none of us are criminals!”

“Really?” Hank’s eyes settled on Mick. “Then why was his face on the news 2 years ago, saying he robbed a Central City bank?”

“Because I like shiny things,” Mick growled, prowling forward and making Hank step back hurriedly. It was obvious to the team by the way Mick was holding himself and had both his hands away from his gun that he wasn’t actually going to do anything to the man, but Nate was grateful for it anyway. “And I don’t like pigs. Like you.” He poked Hank in the chest and the older man gasped in fright.

Nate looked his dad in the eyes again. “Look, we’re staying here and you can’t really stop us. This is my home too. If it really bothers you that much, we can stay in my old room. We can’t take up too much space that way.”

“I told you, I don’t approve.” Hank snapped again, fear of Mick forgotten as he moved in front of the staircase and blocked Nate’s path. “I don’t approve of you or your friends being here and I don’t approve of you ordering me around. What makes you think that you have any right?”

Taking a deep breath, Nate glared at his father, reassured by Sara’s comforting and intimidating presence appearing at his back. “Like I said- there’s not really anything you can do to stop me, Hank.”

“Why can’t you just stay at a hotel if it’s so important?” Hank looked his son up and down with disdain in his eyes and a turn to his lips that said he knew the exact reason and knew Nate hated bringing it up. “Surely if it can’t wait you don’t have to stay here?”

Gritting his teeth, Nate advanced up a step, forcing Hank to take a step back. “You know exactly why.”

Shaking his head, Hank smiled like a shark, thinking he’d won and got exactly what he wanted. “Still such a disappointment, Nathaniel,” Nate flinched and Zari could feel the rest of the Legends beside her shifting uncomfortably, ready to act. “I suppose you couldn’t manage to get a job with that history degree, huh? You should have listened to me- I was telling you that from the start.”

“Look, I know what you’re trying to do, and it isn’t working.” Nate barked and the Legends jumped at the anger in his voice. Not Mick though- he was grinning proudly. “So just get out of my way and let us get upstairs.”

Hank glowered at Nate and pulled out his phone. “You leave me no choice Nate- leave or I’m calling the police.” His sentence hadn’t even finished yet before Nate’s arm, clad in steel that shone under the bright lights from the chandelier above them, reached out and grabbed the phone out of Hanks’ hand, breaking it between his fist and dropping it down the stairs. Hank stared at his son in fear and horror. Nate pushed past him silently and up the steps- the Legends following behind, all glaring at Hank. To his credit, Hank’s eyes never left Nate’s retreating back as if he were afraid that Nate, in his skin made of steel, would find him and pummel him in his sleep.

Zari was the last one up the staircase and she paused beside Hank. “Your son is the only reason this team is still alive. If it wasn’t for him, we would have all died a hundred times over. He is a valuable asset to our team and an amazing friend.” Zari reached out and grabbed Hanks collar. “You treat him like dirt and he deserves so much more than that. So I’m going to bring your son with us on our ship and I’m going to stay by his side and I’m going to give him the love and care you kept from him.” She let him go and made her way up the steps.

She paused by the top and called down, “You’re lucky he turned out as nice as he did. If he had turned out like you, after everything you put him through, I wouldn’t want to know him. You’re lucky he still cares about you enough to visit you and look you in the face. Think about that the next time you decide to pick on him.”

Breathing heavy with anger, Zari turned around and was happy to see the proud nods she received from both Sara and Mick for her speech before they all turned back and followed Nate into his old room.

* * *

 It took Zari a little longer than she was proud of to realise that Nate had gone missing. He wasn't answering his coms, Gideon didn't know where he was and Zari couldn't find him in all his favourite places within the ship. Sara’s been calling on him for too long now to be a coincidence and even Mick was starting to look worried.

Time Pirates were Zari’s first clue, boarding the Waverider in the dead of night and taking Nate with them, but the jumpship was still docked and none of the records showed any type of unauthorised boarding. Jax suggested that maybe he’s gone for a run. Zari immediately declined the suggestion, given how much he claimed he hated exercise the night before.

Surprisingly, it was Ray who cornered her on her way to check Nate’s room again, pressing her up against a wall. “Hey, I don’t know if you noticed, but Nate seemed really down in the dumps last night. Maybe he’s left the ship for some alone time?”

Nodding, Zari patted Ray on the shoulder and made her way off the ship. There were heavy footprints in the dirt and the further Zari followed them, the dirt transitioned to sand and she could hear the soft sounds of the ocean.

It was beautiful- the bright blue sky was clear of any clouds and the warm sun was beating down on her back like a fluffy blanket on a cold night. The wind was refreshing and tinged with salt off the sea, gently rustling the leaves in the trees filled with multicoloured, chirping birds. It's peaceful, nothing like Zari had ever seen before.   
  
She found him sitting on the ground, toes buried in the sand and arms wrapped around the knees hugged to his chest. "So this is where you've run off to," Zari greeted, regretfully breaking his silence. She sat beside him and lent back on her hands. "You've had us worried. You didn't even let Gideon know where you were going."  
  
Tilting his head, Nate smiled softly at Zari. "Sorry, I just had to get out for a bit. It's been ages since we were able to leave the ship, I was going a little stir crazy."  
  
Nodding in understanding, Zari turned her face back to the sea. The water tickled her toes. "I get that. Ray said you looked upset last night. Is everything alright? Anything you wanna talk about?"  
  
"Nah, I was just feeling a little down," Nate shrugged when Zari raised her eyebrows at him. "I was just thinking about how this new family is so much better than the one I already had. I mean, I love you guys, but it's a little sad, you know? I've found people who love me and accept me for me. It's nice. Makes me think that Hank and mum didn't try as much as they could have."

Zari felt a sharp twinge of heartache at his words her eyes burned from the intensity of staring at the sun glinting off the pristine waves. “Maybe that’s true and maybe it’s not. I wasn’t there when you were younger, but what I do know is that your dad is a jerk and that we’re your new family now.”

Grinning, Nate leaned over to bump her in the shoulder with his elbow. “You guys as my family? I think I can live with that.”

Laughing, Zari let Nate have a few more moments of peace before finally announcing, “We’d better get going. I wasn’t joking when I said we’ve been looking for you everywhere- even Mick is starting to worry.” Together, they rose from the sand and made their way back towards the ship.

* * *

 He was in the kitchen when Zari woke up, a bowl of brightly coloured cereal in one hand and an obnoxiously large spoon in the other. The fridge door was wide open and the milk was on the counter, the lid having rolled away somewhere across the floor. The sink was piled high with half-finished and aborted meals and there was a box of pancake mix sitting in a pile of flour. As soon as she entered the kitchen, she crossed her arms and sighed. “Nate, what did you do?”

Indignantly, he waved the milk covered spoon at her and a piece of cereal slides off at the motion and lands back into the bowl. “Listen, I’m from Earth. Modern Earth. I’m sick of having my food made in the food fabricator all the time and I wanted to make us all something nice.”

“So you went with… pancakes?” Zari arched her brow and went deeper inside the room. “Despite knowing you can’t cook?”

Nate shoved more cereal into his mouth before placing the bowl back onto the counter and wiping his hands on a tea towel. “Pancakes are your favourite meal, isn’t it?” Zari was momentarily taken aback. “And I was going to make them from scratch but that was too hard so I was going to use the boxed version but when I read the ingredients it was filled with things Ray is allergic too so I just gave up and had cereal instead.” The last was said with a pout as if he was genuinely disappointed that his attempts had all failed.

“Gideon could have given you a hand.” Zari laughed placing her hand on her friend’s shoulder before closing the fridge door and retrieving the cap for the milk.

“I know, but I wanted to try doing it for myself. A surprise breakfast in bed for the rest of the Legends.” Nate admitted, shifting uncomfortably.

Snorting, Zari strolled over to the sink and after rolling up her sleeves, turned on the tap and lathered the dirty dishes in soap. “Get on with it,” She called out over her shoulder once she was up to her elbows in soap suds. “I’ll wash, you dry.” Hurriedly, Nate took one more spoonful of his cereal before it went completely soggy and picked up the nearest tea towel, joining Zari at the sink.

* * *

 “Next time Sara sends us anywhere artic, remind me to say no," Nate shivered from where he was bundled in thick coats and scarves. "This was the worst idea she's ever had.  
  
Zari couldn't argue and apparently, neither could Ray or Mick as they followed at a steady pace behind him. Nate's foot sunk into the snow as he took another step and he grumbled something under his breath as he pulled out his leg, now soaked up to the knee in melting snow. His teeth chattered. "I hate the cold."  
  
"How do you think I feel?" Mick roared. "I do fire, not ice! If they wanted to send someone, they should have gone to planet Nazi to drag Snart along." Zari rolled her eyes and hunched her shoulders as she made an effort to trudge ahead.  
  
The snow was falling in heavy sheets and the wind was blowing hard and fast. Under their feet, the snow hid thick layers of ice that they constantly slipped on. "There wouldn't be a snow monster at the top of this mountain, would there?" Zari called, hugging her arms around her body.   
  
Behind her, Ray shook his head. "It's probably just a blizzard that's just picking up. We're here for a monkey thing anyway, not a snow beast. We'll be lucky if there isn't an avalanche while we're here."  
  
"Don't say that!" Nate snapped. "You know how bad our luck is, why tempt something we don't have?"  
  
Ray flashed Zari a grin. "The cold's making someone grumpy." Zari huffed out a laugh.  
  
Suddenly, there was an almighty roar that seemed to echo around the mountains. A large shape appeared on the top of the hill they were climbing. "Holy shit!" Nate yelled. "Please tell me that's not the thing we're here to catch?"  
  
The dark silhouette of the beast raised its arms and slammed them down repeatedly on the ground. Zari only had time to scream "Watch out!" before the snow swallowed her whole and her world went back.   
  
She wasn't sure how long she was buried in the snow, but she floated in and out of consciousness. Her memories came in bursts.  
  
Hands piercing through the snow and pulling her upwards to freedom. She could breathe again but it was too bright. Something soft being thrown over her shoulders. Being lifted and fireman carried down the hill, swaying against a smooth surface.   
  
Something being slammed against a wall. Loud, panicked voices. Suddenly, warmth, almost unbearable warmth that got more comfortable over time and something heavy draped over her- a blanket.   
  
Worried voices. Warm soup being spoon-fed to her. A large hand placed on her shoulder- a head on her chest. She almost wanted to complain but her eyes were too heavy to open and it was warm anyway.   
  
When Zari finally, eventually managed to open her eyes, she saw Nate asleep in the chair beside her, drool down his chin and arms crossed over his chest. When she called his name, he didn't answer, so she reached across and knocked the lamp off of her nightstand. He woke up with a jolt. "Oh thank god!" He beamed once he saw her awake. "We were starting to get worried that you wouldn't wake up."  
  
"What happened?" She asked groggily, then screwed up her face and waved her hand about. "No, I refuse to be a stereotypical injured woman. I remember the monster. I remember being buried in the snow but everything between that and right now is a bit of a blur."  
  
Nate scooted his chair closer to the bed. "We were all buried but I managed to dig my way out. I found the rest of you, covered you in my warm clothes and then carried you all back to the Waverider where Gideon and Sara took care of you."  
  
"You carried all three of us down the mountain," Zari repeated in disbelief. "And despite complaining about the cold, you gave us your winter gear to keep us warm?"  
  
"Yeah," Nate shrugged like it was no big deal. "It's fine. Micks pretty heavy though, so I sort of had to drag him most of the way. He was pretty annoyed when he first woke up." He paused. "You're kinda the last one awake actually. Maybe because I found you last and you were under the snow for-"  
  
The last of his words were cut off as Zari, despite the pain radiating through her entire body, had sat up and launched herself at Nate who caught her and instinctively wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Thank you," she whispered into his hair and he squeezed her tighter, his face buried in her hair.

* * *

 "Where is he?" Zari called as she re-joined the others on the sand. They were all gathered together in a worried huddle, panicked voices raising over each other to be heard. "Did anyone find him?"  
  
Her heart sank when she received no positive answer and screwed her hands up in her hair as she turned away. The waves lapped up against the shore and dragged the dirt back out with it. "We'll find him, Zari." Sara said, "He can't have gotten far."  
  
"He could be dead," Mick said, unhelpfully as he glared out at the ocean. "Those mermaids pulled him under and I don't remember seeing him coming back up."  
  
Over the coms, Roy cleared his throat from somewhere up above them as he searched the perimeter for any sign of Nate or the sea creatures that attacked them. "You're close Mick, but they weren't really mermaids. More like sirens. They lure their prey into the ocean with their song and they either kill them immediately or sedate them to eat later if they put up too much of a fight."  
  
"So he could still be alive," Sara said definitively. "Even if he was lured into the water by naked singing mermaids with fangs, he would have snapped out of it eventually and fought back. Nothing short of dwarfstar can pierce his skin when it's steel."  
  
They split up to search the beach another time and there was silence over the coms as they worked until Mick suddenly broke the silence with a sharply spoken question. "Has anyone checked the cove?" Zari was running towards it long before anyone else had answered.  
  
By the time she had made it to the cove, sand spraying up behind her in her wake, the sun had begun to set and the waves were raising up the beach, but she eventually spotted a figure higher up the beach tied in thick green seaweed and ratty fishing nets. Zari dropped beside it and started clawing away at the bindings. "Nate!" She hissed, shaking him as she worked. "Wake up!"  
  
He stirred but didn't wake and once Zari had removed the seaweed around his neck, she saw the circle of teeth marks in his skin. Remembering Rays warning about siren bites having many worrisome properties, she made a mental note to get Nate to the med-bay as soon as they got to the ship.  
  
Eventually, the others arrived just as Zari removed the final length of the net from around Nate's legs and after panicking immensely for a good few minutes when Nate didn't wake up, Mick grunted in exasperation and carried Nate back to the ship. Ray and Sara stayed back with Zari as they walked back towards the Waverider. "See?" Ray beamed proudly. "I told you they would take him somewhere to eat later."  
  
"And _I_ told you that we would find him," Sara said, bumping Zari in the shoulder. "And we did."  
  
Zari heaved a deep sigh that seemed to come from somewhere deep within her. "You're right, I'm sorry I doubted you. But how come whenever one of us gets in trouble, it’s always Nate?"

* * *

 

“Move!” Nate grunted from underneath the pile of rubble as he held up the remainder of the ceiling, his legs and arms straining under the weight. “I’ll be fine, just get out!”

Zari spluttered as she lifted a large chunk of falling plaster off of the final child which Mick grabbed and ran out of the orphanage to join the others outside. “You’ll be fine? You’re insane! You’ll be killed and no matter how strong you say you are when you’re steel, I don’t know if you’re insurance  covers you for being crushed under a falling building!”

Nate grit his teeth and closed his eyes. “Zari, I stopped a moving train by standing in front of it. I got blew up with a bunch of zombies and survived. I’ll be fine, but you won’t be, so please just leave.”

Panicking, Zari searched around for something to prop up the building, but there was nothing around that she could use. “Zari!” Sara called from outside. “Out! Now!”

Reluctantly, Zari backed away towards the exit. “You had better meet me outside, Nathaniel.” She called out over the cracking of the tumbling building but before she could continue, Mick’s hand wrapped around her and pulled her out of the building. As soon as she left, the whole thing collapsed into a heap of broken and jagged bits of concrete. The children whose homes had just been demolished cried softly behind them and Ray went to comfort them.

Zari rushed towards the debris and began to frantically dig through the remains, cutting her hands on the rocks. “Zari, he told you he'll be fine,” Sara shouted. “He won't be crushed, nothing can penetrate him.”

“Yeah,” Zari retorted, her words to Sara but everything else focused on finding Nate. “But I don’t think that helps him when he’s been buried alive!”

The others exchanged glances as Zari continued to dig, her fingers blistering and turning numb until she could see the beginning of a floundering hand that glistened in the sun poke up from between to rocks. She pulled away a heavy chunk and Mick jumped up to help her pull Nate out of the tiny space where he promptly collapsed against her, panting. She rubbed his back until he had eventually turned back to his normal form. “How about we never do that again?” he suggested, breathless, as his eyes began to close and fatigue began to set in. Zari laughed lightly and held him close.

* * *

 

He was asleep again, limbs haphazardly spread outwards his feet handing off the edge of the couch, an open book on his face from where it had slipped from his fingers. Zari knew that when he woke up he would be distraught at the drool he had gotten on the pages and she moved it away before the ink could run. He winced at the light from the lamp beside him as Zari moved the book away and placed it on the counter and he threw his arm over his eyes to block out the glare. “Nate,” Zari hissed as she shook him. “Come on, wake up.”

Nate opened his eyes and looked at her blearily and even Zari could tell he wasn’t really seeing her and she wondered how long he had been awake. He muttered something that sounded almost like her name and Zari sighed “Come on you man-child, let’s get you to bed.”

Together they stumbled through the halls, Zari had one hand on Nate’s lower back as she guided him through the ship and the other hand out in front of them in search of any hidden obstacles in the dark. When they entered Nate’s bedroom, Gideon silently turned the lights on and lowered it to a dim setting and Zari made a mental note to thank the AI once she made it back to her own room.

She pushed Nate onto the bed and he toppled onto it with a grunt and Zari bent down to tuck him in. “Get to sleep,” She said quietly. “I don’t want you to get in trouble from Sara in the morning and you know what she’ll do if she finds out you stayed up all night reading _again_.” She was about to pull away but Nate’s hand on her arm stopped her and she frowned down at the strangely firm grip. “Nate? What is it?”

“You’re the best sister I never had, Zari,” Nate mumbled, mostly asleep and Zari felt a burn across her cheeks. She hadn’t had a sibling in a very long time and sure, she considered Nate like a brother, it was heart-warming to know that he felt the same way. “You really are.”

“That’s sweet Nate, but could you let go of my arm?” Zari asked gently, trying to pry Nate’s fingers away but she didn’t get too far before Nate pulled her onto the bed with him. She went down with a screech and he wrapped his arms and legs around her, nuzzling his face into her shoulder. “ _Nate_! I’m not a damn teddy bear!”

But Nate didn’t answer and Zari got the reason why when she heard the snoring in her ear. She kicked him, but he was dead to the world, so she sighed, resigning herself to being used as a human body pillow and closed her eyes.

Eventually, she felt her eyes getting heavy, but before she fell asleep completely she placed a kiss on Nate’s forehead. He hummed against her neck. “Goodnight, you little shit.”

She thought she heard Gideon laugh from somewhere up above them.


End file.
